Heated windshield wiper blade



Feb. 7, 1956 w. F. KARS'II'ENS ETAL 2,733,472

HEATED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE Filed Nov. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. M44 as? F, KAesrm/s y TVoMfi; J. "DP/CK Feb. 7, 1956 w. F. KARSTENS ETAL 2,733,472

HEATED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1952 INVENTORS Mame knesre/vs BY Mamas .77 Moe/ax u w I 1 I 1 1 l1 Ill /I/ I I/ III.

United States Patent HEATED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE Walter F. Karstens and Thomas J. Vidrick, Arlington Heights, Ill.

Application November 12, 1952, Serial No. 319,808 4 Claims. (Cl. -2505) Our invention relates to improvements in windshield wiper construction.

Our invention relates more particularly to the construction of a wiper blade provided with means for heating the same to prevent an accumulation of sleet or ice thereon.

As is well known in the art, modern automobiles, trains, airplanes, etc. are provided with means for defrosting the glass windshield, the means usually employing heated air blown against the inner surface of the same of sulficient intensity to warm the glass so that sleet or ice which forms on the outside surface of the glass is melted and wiped away by the blade of the windshield wiper. While this succeeds in cleaning the sn0w, sleet or ice from the windshield, it does not prevent the accumulation of ice or snow on the sides of the wiper blade itself. In freezing weather the blade of the windshield wiper has a tendency to accumulate snow and ice until the entire blade is covered with a frozen coating which then slides over the surface of the glass without effecting any cleaning or wiping action. As a result, operators of vehicles are frequently required to manually clean the accumulated snow and ice from the windshield wiper blade itself.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a construction of wiper blade which has means therein for heating the same, thereby eliminating the possibility of having a frozen coating on the surface of the blade. In addition, the small amount of heat which is required in the blade keeps the blade from becoming stilf in lowered temperatures, and in warmer temperatures such as in rain, assist materially in cleaning the moisture off the surface of the window.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wiper blade having a comparatively simple heating element in .the same and a wire extending therefrom capable of connection to the ignition switch or other desired switch, the construction being such that the attachment of the same in any standard windshield wiper can be easily and simply effected.

A further object of the invention is the construction of a windshield wiper blade having a heating element therein, the construction of the blade being such that it may be applied in any of the standard windshield wipers at present on the market.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings, upon which- Fig. l is a side elevational view showing the general installation of windshield wiper and blade, the windshield or window being shown in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing one form of wiper blade operating mechanism which may be employed with our improved blade;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view .of a wiper blade constructed in accordance with our invention, parts thereof being broken in section to more clearly show other parts. i

In the embodiment of the invention which we have chosen to illustrate anddescribe the same, we have shown an installation of the windshield wiper on the windshield of an automotive vehicle, it being understood that similar installations can be made on airplanes, street cars,

trucks, buses, motor boats and other types of vehicles which are provided with a windshield in front of the driver.

The windshield wiper may include a shaft 10 which is driven in a well known manner to oscillate back and forth. The shaft 10 may carry a spring arm 12' which is connected by an arm attaching ear 14 to a spring bridge member 16. The bridge member 16 has a pair of end ears 18 and 20 which connect under tension to a pair of brackets 22 and 24 that are fastened to the two parts 26 and 28 of the wiper blade holder 30.

The wiper blade holder, as best shown in Fig. '3, may have a top wall 32 and a pair of inwardly inclined side walls 34 and 36 to receive the tapered head 38 of a wiper blade 40. The wiper blade is inserted into the holder from one end of the same, the holder having a pair of ears.42 and 44 at the ends of the same, and the ears beingcapable of being bent parallel to the wall 32 to permit the introduction of the tapered head 38 of the wiper blade. After it has been inserted, the ears are bent down to the position shown in the drawings.

In providing a heating element in a wiper blade, we prefer to have the blade molded with a groove 50 in the upperehd of the head 38, the groove extending generally throughout the length of the blade. The heating element 52 may preferably consist of a stranded bell conductor wire that is plastic coated, the wire being of a size that will lie snugly in the groove 50. One end of the heatingelement may extend outwardly through an opening in the top wall 32 of the blade holder 30 at the lower end of the same and extend upwardly through a pair of loops 56 and 58 and then downwardly on the back of the spring arm 12, the conductor wire being preferably fastened thereto by a pair spring clip members 60.

The wire may extend in any suitable manner to the wiper actuating switch from where it may be suitably connected to a source of current in the vehicle. The strands of the conductor wire 61 inside of the plastic conduit may extend out of the upper end of the same and be connected to a .0045 Advance Nichrome Resistance wire 62 that is spirally wrapped as shown about the plastic coating of the wire, the lower end of the same being attached to a suitable ground such as the wiper blade holder 30 by a drop of solder, as shown at 64. Prior to this connection, however, the groove 50 in the upper end of the head 38 of the wiper blade is filled with live rubber 66 and heated and vulcanized so that the heater element is completely insulated and fixedly held in position in the groove 50, the only portion thereof exposed being the end that is attached by the solder at 64 to the wiper blade holder.

With the above construction, it can be seen that we have provided a heating element which is comparatively simple to construct and which may be applied to any of the standard wiper blades on the market in such manner that the wiper blade can be attached to the standard wiper blade holders in a short time and by a very simple operation. The insulation or coating of the conductor wire serves as a support for the strands of the resistance wire which are spirally wound around the same, and when the windshield wiper is operated and current flows through the heater element, it will cause the body of the wiper blade to become sufiiciently warm so that it af'issywa ,3 will melt sleet or snow which would otherwise accumulate on the same.

In addition, the wiper blade will have a longer life due to the factthat by keeping -the-same waim' it-will not become hardened or dead and caused to deteriorate incold, or inclement weather-L Further,"when a warin wiper blade is being used to remove-train orvdther mois e tur'e,-theyheat in the blade'will tndwtb inake tlierblaidc more flexible, thereby making :it nioreg-efiicient -im removing moisture ont'liesurfaeeof the wi-ndow-,--and caus ing a more complete cleaning operation on'the window. We contemplate that clianges aln'd modifications be made in the exact details shown and we do nottwish to-be iimitedyin anytparticular; "rat-herwliatwe'desii'e to secure and protect by Letters *Paieiit--of th'e -Unifed' Stat'e'sist a 1 1. -A flexible rubber bla'de "for windshield wipers, said bladehavin'g QR-head: portion, aheating e-lmen't -embedded v in said -head portion, "said heating elnient ebmprising a coated conductor 'Wi're-extending?the lefigth ofsait'l Wiper 0 blade, a resistance wire extending 'ff'or'n'one end er said conductor'wire and Woundaroundtiie coatifig of s'aidcbnductor, wireas a=suppbrt 1 thereforg saidmiiat ing element placed in a groove int-he uppersurf-ace of 'sai'd "head p'ortion with rubbersvulcaniz'ed over the"endfiof thetgroovet0; sealathe entireheatingzelemehtin place. a

The combination wi-h awindshieldimpel-hayinga shaft; aspring aim carried thereby, a'brid'ge-'-mernber, "an

ear on-said bridge memberfor atttchrhent'tosaid spring arm, a-wipersblade holder carriediby said bridge ntember, of a wiperbladeof flexible material mounted-in's'aid holderysaidwiper blade-having a'heating-el'ement embedded therein throughoutthe length of'the*s'ame, s'aid heatingelernent consisting' of an instilated'eonductor,wire, anexpofsed resistance wire connectedtoone end of sai'd insulated conductor and wrapped around =;said" insulated conductor wire and grounded-to s'aid blade holder.

-3. The combination with a windshieldiwiper having a shaft,-a spring arm carried therebyya bridge member,

, an ear on said bridge rnemlger for attaghment to gaid spring arm, a wiper blade holder carried by said bridge member, of a wiper blade of flexible material mounted in said holder, said wiper blade having a heating element embedded therein throughout the length of the same consisting of an insulated conductor wire with a length of exposed resistance wire xfefidihg' from one end of the same and wound around and in contact with the insulated conductor wireto"a-poinratacefit the other end of the same, and. g'roiit'idd atthelower eudofdaid bla'rli'holder, the other end of-said conduct'dr wire extended to a source of current. U: V r

4. A windshield wiper 'iiiblfidirig a shift, a spring "aim carried thereby, a bi'i'd-gdmeiiiber,*an e'ar on said bridge member for attachment to said spring arm, an elongated wiper blade holder carried by said bridge member, an elongated rubber wiper blade mounted in said holder, said wiper'blade -lravinga t'riangul'arly shaped head, "a heating element embedded therein, saidheating eleme'nt consisting of a coated insulated wire extending the length of sai'cl'bladeand aresista'rice wire spirally wound around the'co'ati-ng" on said insulated wire, said resistance wire connected to one end of said insulated wire and grounded abthe lower endof said bladeholder, t-he'o'ther end of said *insulated 'wire extended to=a source of current. I Iiefererices Citedin-the file of this patent UNITED" STATES "PATENTS 

